Learn about the early, colonial, and recent history of Arizona, the 48th state of the United States.
European History
The history of Arizona dates back to more than 12,000 years. The Basket Makers (Anasazi), the Mogollon, the Hokoham, and the Hakataya tribes were the original inhabitants of the region around Arizona. The first European settlement in the state was by Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan in 1539. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was another explorer who entered the area in 1540-1542, followed by many others.
US Acquisition
After the Mexican war of independence from Spain (1810-21), the region around Arizona became a part of the territory of Nueva California, also known as Alta California. The United States occupied Mexico City in the Mexican-American War (1847), and also laid claim on much of northern Mexico, including Arizona.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) resulted in the end of the Mexican War and offered a compensation of $15 million US dollars to the Republic of Mexico. On March 16, 1861, southern New Mexico seceded from the Union as the Confederate Territory of Arizona and on February 14, 1862, Arizona was recognized as a Confederate Territory by presidential proclamation of Jefferson Davis. The following year the region was organized as a separate territory and Fort Whipple was made the capital.
Statehood
The late nineteenth century in Arizona was marked by many intermittent battles. The Homestead Act (1862), the Desert Land Act (1877), and the Carey Land Act (1894) were some of the major events of the period. On February 14, 1912, Arizona, still a frontier territory, was admitted to the union as a separate state; it was the forty-eighth state admitted to the United States. The same year, women in the state gained suffrage (the right to vote). The constitution of the newly created Arizona created a storm, with such "radical" political features as initiative, referendum, and judicial recall. The bill for statehood was however signed only when the recall feature was expunged.
Twentieth Century
The economy of Arizona spurred during the First World War; the copper industry, intensive agriculture, and livestock production expanded. The growing economy suffered a setback during the 1920s and the 30s with the onset of the Great Depression. However, the Second World War revitalized the economy. Many camps for military training, prisoners of war, and displaced Japanese-Americans were built throughout the state and this gave a new direction to the economy of Arizona. There was a boom in meat, cotton, and copper production. In 1948, Arizona saw the beginning of high tech industry, with Motorola building one of the first plants in Phoenix. The same year American Indians gained the right to vote. The decision to observe an annual state holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. taken in 1992 was a crucial event in the history of Arizona. The event put an end to a six-year political controversy.
The history of Arizona dates back to more than 12,000 years. The Basket Makers (Anasazi), the Mogollon, the Hokoham, and the Hakataya tribes were the original inhabitants of the region around Arizona. The first European settlement in the state was by Marcos de Niza, a Spanish Franciscan in 1539. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was another explorer who entered the area in 1540-1542, followed by many others.
After the Mexican war of independence from Spain (1810-21), the region around Arizona became a part of the territory of Nueva California, also known as Alta California. The United States occupied Mexico City in the Mexican-American War (1847), and also laid claim on much of northern Mexico, including Arizona.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) resulted in the end of the Mexican War and offered a compensation of $15 million US dollars to the Republic of Mexico. On March 16, 1861, southern New Mexico seceded from the Union as the Confederate Territory of Arizona and on February 14, 1862, Arizona was recognized as a Confederate Territory by presidential proclamation of Jefferson Davis. The following year the region was organized as a separate territory and Fort Whipple was made the capital.
Statehood
The late nineteenth century in Arizona was marked by many intermittent battles. The Homestead Act (1862), the Desert Land Act (1877), and the Carey Land Act (1894) were some of the major events of the period. On February 14, 1912, Arizona, still a frontier territory, was admitted to the union as a separate state; it was the forty-eighth state admitted to the United States. The same year, women in the state gained suffrage (the right to vote). The constitution of the newly created Arizona created a storm, with such "radical" political features as initiative, referendum, and judicial recall. The bill for statehood was however signed only when the recall feature was expunged.
Twentieth Century
The economy of Arizona spurred during the First World War; the copper industry, intensive agriculture, and livestock production expanded. The growing economy suffered a setback during the 1920s and the 30s with the onset of the Great Depression. However, the Second World War revitalized the economy. Many camps for military training, prisoners of war, and displaced Japanese-Americans were built throughout the state and this gave a new direction to the economy of Arizona. There was a boom in meat, cotton, and copper production. In 1948, Arizona saw the beginning of high tech industry, with Motorola building one of the first plants in Phoenix. The same year American Indians gained the right to vote. The decision to observe an annual state holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. taken in 1992 was a crucial event in the history of Arizona. The event put an end to a six-year political controversy.
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